”At 69 I’m Britain’s oldest glamour model”
Suzy Monty, 69, from truro in cornwall, has been modelling since her 20s, and is still doing lingerie and glamour shoots. She tells why she’s determined to carry on
When I do photo shoots with younger models, the first thing they say to me is, “I can’t believe you’re 69-years-old!” My face is wrinkle-free, I’ve got long, shiny brunette locks and
I’m fit and toned. I’ve posed in everything from ballgowns to bustiers and I’ve even bared all for naturist magazines.
It really gives me a thrill to know I can hold my own at my age and I don’t feel embarrassed about taking my clothes off for a shoot, even in front of a stranger. Why would I? I find it liberating.
I sunbathe and garden in the nude so it feels quite normal to me to bare all. At 5ft 7in, I’ve always been a size 10 and have weighed around 9st all my adult life, so I’m happy to show my body off.
For one advertising shoot I did for a naturist club, I posed with a male model in his 20s, who
I’d never met before. We did a variety of shots posing by the pool, next to a snooker table and in the Jacuzzi.
You might think that my husband John, 73, a retired central heating engineer, would be jealous of me posing with a hunk who’s a third of my age, but not a bit of it. He’s been my biggest supporter for almost 50 years and in normal times acts as my chauffeur. He’s always been the man for me and, although like any couple we’ve had our ups and downs, there’s still a spark between us. I don’t want anybody else.
I first caught the modelling bug when I was 10, after winning a catwalk competition for young people. I thought, “This is fun!” Then, in my 20s, I won beauty contests, such as Miss Cornwall Swimwear, and my career started to take off.
As I got older, I decided to make it my business too and launched an award-winning modelling agency. It was hard back then – when you wanted to book someone in for a last-minute job, you just had to hope they answered their landline! I had strict rules for my models
– if they did nude or topless work, they were off the books as it was all commercial work.
I was asked to do Page 3, but turned it down – my parents would have been horrified. But perhaps I’d have made more money, like Linda Lusardi, if I had. Maybe now I’m rebelling against my strict upbringing by posing nude, but I’d never do any adult work.
Mature approach
When I was 40, I was struck down with glandular fever. I was on steroids and was weak and out of it for about a year, so I gave up modelling. I lost my confidence and the years tumbled past. I adapted to a more normal routine, helping run John’s office for him.
But then fate – in the shape of Helen Mirren in a red bikini – played its part. When I was 57, I saw pictures of the actress posing in a two-piece, in her
60s. She looked fabulous and I thought to myself, “Well, if she can do it, why can’t I?” I sent some pictures to a paper, which ended up running shots of me.
That was the start of my mature modelling career. For the past 12 years, I’ve had the time of my life. I do everything from high fashion to niche publications, and so far 2020 has been a busy year for me with cover shoots on three titles, Proshoot, Plush Curves and Slayqueenz.
Last year, I even had an entire US magazine dedicated to me, including the cover. That was a mix of nude and lingerie and I worked with three or four different photographers. There were shots of me on the beach, in the shower and in a milk bath in an amazing mansion. For those shoots, it was often just me and a female photographer on set – it’s private and tastefully done.
It’s artistic not sleazy.
I did one shoot for Good Housekeeping when I was 59 and that was a different experience altogether. There were stylists, hairdressers, make-up artists – there were assistants to assistants! Plus, there was a huge spread of delicious food. It was such a treat to experience the glossy magazine lifestyle for a day and see how the London scene had changed from when I’d modelled there when I was young.
I don’t travel that far afield, as we have a rescue dog called Venus – she’s our fur baby, as I wasn’t able to have children.
But my favourite trip was to a shoot at a fishing village in France
when I was 62. That all felt very glamorous. And I love the 1950s fashion shoots I do for a company called Silly Old Sea Dog.
Usually, I get jobs via my Facebook page and modelling sites Model Mayhem, Madcow Models and Purpleport and once lockdown has properly eased I hope to get back to that. For now, I’m focusing on staying as fit and healthy as I can – I’ve even lost half a stone.
I put my youthful looks down to my parents, as I’ve never really had to go to the gym, but I enjoy walking the dog. We’re early risers and are usually out at 7.30am and sometimes again in the evening.
I’ve never touched alcohol, as it just tastes like medicine to me, and we have a really healthy diet based around lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, local Cornish fish and home-baked cakes. Breakfast might be an omelette, with steamed fish and veg for lunch and a light supper like a cheese sandwich. Like the French, I like to have my main meal at lunchtime.
My beauty regime is simple, too. I use Olay moisturiser and only sunbathe for 15 minutes twice a day, with suncream on. I don’t use fake tan as I just look orange. When I’m not doing a shoot, I rarely wear make-up. At home, I’m very au naturel and, as proud as he is of my glammed up shoots, my husband’s as happy to see me in jeans and a T-shirt. He says I’ve saved him a fortune by being so low maintenance.
Flying the Flag
In 2011, I had a health scare when I was found to be suffering from a rare health condition called Xanthogranulomatous. A tumour was growing on my liver and
I had to have an operation called a hemihepatectomy at a Plymouth hospital. I’m so grateful to the surgeon as I made a full recovery.
I’m a believer in having a positive mindset. It made me even more determined to live life to the full and I did my first post-op job just three months later. I have a scar which is Photoshopped out if it’s visible.
I love having fans all over the world and I still get attention from younger men when I’m outside glammed up for a shoot, which is a compliment. I’m contacted by people impressed I’m flying the flag for ladies of a certain age and by younger women who want me to send signed pictures for their grandfathers. Yes, I do get some fruity male fans contacting me who can be a bit full-on, but I just block them from my Facebook page. I won’t engage with that sort of thing at all.
Modelling has changed a lot since I first started and it’s much more inclusive. The funny thing is, the only thing that holds me back from getting more ‘mature’ modelling work is the fact I don’t have grey hair so I don’t look old enough for some clients.
But those youthful looks stand me in good stead. I look at Daphne Selfe, who’s still going in her 90s, and think, “Why can’t I do that?”
I know I’m not going to make the cover of Vogue, but I’m determined to keep going as long as I can. I’ll embrace my
70th birthday with a big shoot next year.